Smolyan Province (Bulgarie: Област Смолян - Oblast Smolyan, former name Smolyan okrug) is a province in soothren-central Bulgarie, locatit in the Rhodope Muntains, neebourin Greece tae the sooth. It is namit efter its admeenistrative an industrial centre - the ceety o Smolyan. The province embraces a territory o 3,192.8 km²[1] that is dividit intae 10 municipalities wi a total population o 124,795 inhabitants, as o December 2009.[2][3][4]

Table o contents

The Smolyan province (Област, oblast) contains 10 municipalities[5] (singular: община, obshtina - plural: Общини, obshtini). The follaein table shows the names o each municipality in Scots an Cyrillic, the main toun or veelage (touns are shown in bauld), an the population o each as o December 2009.

The Smolyan province haed a population o 140,066[10][11] accordin tae the 2001 census, o which 7001488000000000000♠48.8% wur male an 7001512000000000000♠51.2% wur female.[12]
As o the end o 2009, the population o the province, annooncit bi the Bulgarie Naitional Statistical Institute, numbered 124,795[2] of which 7001234000000000000♠23.4% are inhabitants aged over 60 years.[13]

The follaein table represents the chynge o the population in the province efter Warld War II:

The Smolyan province alang wi the Kardzhali Province is a province whare the predominant releegion is Islam. Housomeivver, unlike Kardzhali whare the majority o the population is Turkis, the Muslim population o the Smolyan province is made up amaist entirely o Muslim Bulgaries.

The economy o the province is based on tourism, minin, timber an machine industries an livestock raisin. The main crops o the region are potatoes (aboot 30% o the naitional production), rye an barley; but sheep, pigs an cattle are o greater importance for the agricultur. In the eastren pairts o the province are locatit mair than 20 lead an zinc mines, which form ane o the maist extensive ore deposits in the Balkans. The dense coniferous forests are prerequisite for well developed timber industrie in Dospat, Smolyan, Devin. In Smolyan there are big plants producin machine tuils an ither machinery, while textile industrie is mainly developit tae the east in Nedelino, Zlatograd, Madan an Rudozem. There is a synthetic rubber plant in Madan an aw.

Nouadays, tourism is the backbane o the economy, especially in winter due tae the excellent ski resorts o Pamporovo an Chepelare; haein been completely renovatit an modrenizit. The anerlie factory for skiin equipment is locatit in Chepelare an employs 400 fowk. The mineral springs in Devin an Beden are vera popular amang tourists. The bonnie, unspoilt natur an the spectacular gorges, rock brigs an caves attract mony fowk frae aroond the kintra as well as foreign tourists, while the numerous dams are popular wi campers an fishermen.